My first reaction is that the media is sensationalizing his death because of the mental health connection. They did say, in that report, that he was suffering from a deep depression. In a few days, weeks, months, the connection to Robin Williams’ mental health may help us think about the different ways that depression, manic depression, and other mental illnesses challenge us, and may also shape the talents that we can share with others.

In the past decade or so, I’ve read a lot about Robin Williams and the way he embraces/struggles with his health, and how it is connected to his sense of humor and the way he works.

HOWEVER: Has another celebrity death been a Special News Report recently? Please tell me I’m wrong, that it’s about the person, and not the way he may have (or speculated about, or waiting to announce something officially about) died.

It can be unsettling to be glum. Before March 2013, I’d have to do quite a bit of self-checks (How am I sleeping; Am I hungry/Not eating enough; Am I following my regular routine? What type of books do I read – Or can I not read at all? Am I speaking through my teeth/Unusually quiet/Answering questions inappropriately?)

I’m fine. Fine as in good, balanced. I have to think about what to talk with my psychiatrist about, instead of releasing all sorts of stuff, like I used to.

I’m stressed out about work, and my job search. It’s gray outside, but there’s no window. Ten huge boxes have just arrived for me, and I have to carry them up three flights of stairs. The usual stuff.

It’s disconcerting to be clinically okay for 14 months. I can’t help wondering – I’ve tried to not wonder, but it’s impossible to not know – about when the next episode will come.

Like this:

Bipolar in media:
PSA for IWillListen.org. IWillListen is a program through NAMI. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an excellent resource for consumers (people with mental illness), as well as family and friends.

Watching “Elementary” on demand: Season 2: Episode 19: The Many Mouths of Aaron Colville.

When I started writing this blog, I did it because I wanted to share day-to-day things, by a person who happened to have bipolar disorder. Now, bipolar is everywhere: characters in movies, tv shows, even commercials. (Okay, the commercials are largely PSAs, but, hey, it’s helpful.)

My partner-in-crime and I have a special thing that we do whenever there’s a bipolar character – We shout “Bipolar!!” and his right and my left fists approach each other, then pull back like they’ve exploded. There are sounds, too. It’s pretty great.

We’ve been doing it a lot over the past year. Authors, screenwriters, playwrights are writing about their bipolar parents, siblings, friends, or selves. Sometimes it’s happy, a lot of the time there’s pain that just can’t be entirely fictional. I think it speaks to how far the conversation has come, and about the new generation of artists who grew up with the illness and can express it without the censure that surrounded mental illness. Mental illness affects about *one in every ten people (*did not look this up just now, but it’s close), so everyone knows someone affected. We all must. And now we can talk about it.

So – What do you want to hear about? A new question about life with bipolar? A list of tv and movie characters with bipolar disorder whenever I catch the reference? How to balance life and work, if you’ve just been diagnosed? Let me know, and I’ll start writing again.